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Mort Walker wrote:With the experience of the LCA, India can quickly produce as 4.5 gen combat aircraft and churn them out by the hundreds.

Let alone the engine, I bet even the processors in the LCA comes from the US.That along with a whole bunch of other components.There are probably thousands of projects around the country US could sink through restrictive technology denial regimes or financing restrictions if they chose.Put the Russian purchase on ice for now till circumstances change in the US.Its as much about knowing when to fight and knowing when not to fight.Right now Trump is out to prove he's a hard nosed businessman fighting for American interests and we should not end up on the wrong end of his gun.He's even going after close allies of America with trade wars. He would have no hesitation wrecking India.

Put Russian purchase on ice right now. If Trump wins second term, lets put it on ice for another 4 years. And if some other Trump type comes to power after 6-7 years, we should put russian purchase on ice for another 8 years.

India-US trade is about $75 billion/year in just goods and not including services. This is growing at 7%/year at a very conservative estimate. Trade in services is also growing and at present is around $50 billion/year. By 2030 India-US trade may be near $200 billion/year making it a larger trading partner than Japan. That is on its way and India’s time is coming. The US will find ways to accommodate India as it does not represent a threat to anyone.

The relationship with the US will be one based on mutual trade. The GoI is least concerned about CAATSA and more concened about tariffs.

Mort Walker wrote:India-US trade is about $75 billion/year in just goods and not including services. This is growing at 7%/year at a very conservative estimate. Trade in services is also growing and at present is around $50 billion/year. By 2030 India-US trade may be near $200 billion/year making it a larger trading partner than Japan. That is on its way and India’s time is coming. The US will find ways to accommodate India as it does not represent a threat to anyone.

The relationship with the US will be one based on mutual trade. The GoI is least concerned about CAATSA and more concened about tariffs.

With increasing automation, growth of Indian manufacturing along with domestic consumption, and increasing strain on oil pricing out of dollar, do you honestly believe India will be the biggest trading partner? I have my doubts.

Mort Walker wrote:India-US trade is about $75 billion/year in just goods and not including services. This is growing at 7%/year at a very conservative estimate. Trade in services is also growing and at present is around $50 billion/year. By 2030 India-US trade may be near $200 billion/year making it a larger trading partner than Japan. That is on its way and India’s time is coming. The US will find ways to accommodate India as it does not represent a threat to anyone.

The relationship with the US will be one based on mutual trade. The GoI is least concerned about CAATSA and more concened about tariffs.

With increasing automation, growth of Indian manufacturing along with domestic consumption, and increasing strain on oil pricing out of dollar, do you honestly believe India will be the biggest trading partner? I have my doubts.

Most of India's growth is internally driven and not so dependent on exports. So yes it will be there.but to take it to pole position it's a different matter.

kit wrote:Most of India's growth is internally driven and not so dependent on exports. So yes it will be there.but to take it to pole position it's a different matter.

India's growth since 1991 has been fueled by external capital investment mainly from the US and it's markets.

Pull that rug from out under and the economy would rapidly shrink not grow.

It will be at least 20 years before India can finance it's own development and more years still to have domestic tech/science companies capable of substituting for foreign ones should they decline cooperation.

China however is far ahead on that front producing companies that approximate large US corporations on multiple fronts from semiconductors to airplanes to consumer goods to engineering goods. They are in a much better position to withstand any cutoff from the US market or tech/science trade.

https://www.firstpost.com/world/indias- ... 86545.htmlIndia's missile deal with Russia, trade with Iran despite US sanctions may create unease in New Delhi-Washington tiesWorld FP Staff May 29, 2018India-US ties, that have received a fillip in recent months, appear to have hit a rough patch as New Delhi looks to procure S-400 air defence system from Moscow. The proposed deal with Russia has struck the wrong chord with the US, that has expressed concerns saying it would complicate interoperability between Indian and American forces.While New Delhi-Washington ties have strengthened in recent times with the US calling on India to play a more weighty role in the Indo-Pacific and also Afghanistan, the deal with Russia and US imposing sanctions on Iran after withdrawal from the Iran nuclear accord seems to have created chinks in the relationship.Deal with RussiaIndia is planning to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force from Russia. A senior US Congressman has said that the proposed deal would "complicate" building interoperability between the United States and Indian militaries."There is a lot of concern in the US in both the administration and the Congress regarding the S-400 (missile) system. And, there is concern that any country, and it is not just India that is looking at clearing it, but any country that acquires that system will complicate our ability to work out interoperability," Republican Mac Thornberry, the chairman of the House Armed Services, told a group of journalists in Delhi.According to an NDTV report, India's decision to go ahead with the deal with Russia could come in the way of India acquiring US-built Predator drones which could have been used in operations against terrorist launch-pads along the Line of Control with Pakistan."There is a lot of concern in the US in both the administration and the Congress regarding the S-400 (missile) system. And, there is concern that any country, and it is not just India that is looking at clearing it, but any country that acquires that system will complicate our ability to work out interoperability," Republican Mac Thornberry, the chairman of the House Armed Services, told a group of journalists in Delhi.According to an NDTV report, India's decision to go ahead with the deal with Russia could come in the way of India acquiring US-built Predator drones which could have been used in operations against terrorist launch-pads along the Line of Control with Pakistan.But the president, in order to seek the waiver, has to make a certification to Congress that the country subject to sanctions and seeking relaxation is altering its relationship with Russia. "The current sanctions bill that was just signed in the law last fall doesn't really have much flexibility. But the bill that passed by the House on Thursday adds more flexibility for nations like India who have a legacy of Russian military equipment and of course need to purchase spare parts in order to maintain the readiness of that equipment," he added......Gautam

Mort Walker wrote:India-US trade is about $75 billion/year in just goods and not including services. This is growing at 7%/year at a very conservative estimate. Trade in services is also growing and at present is around $50 billion/year. By 2030 India-US trade may be near $200 billion/year making it a larger trading partner than Japan. That is on its way and India’s time is coming. The US will find ways to accommodate India as it does not represent a threat to anyone.

The relationship with the US will be one based on mutual trade. The GoI is least concerned about CAATSA and more concened about tariffs.

With increasing automation, growth of Indian manufacturing along with domestic consumption, and increasing strain on oil pricing out of dollar, do you honestly believe India will be the biggest trading partner? I have my doubts.

The largest trading partners of the US are Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany. By 2030 I don’t see why India would not dispalace Japan and Germany.

kit wrote:Most of India's growth is internally driven and not so dependent on exports. So yes it will be there.but to take it to pole position it's a different matter.

India's growth since 1991 has been fueled by external capital investment mainly from the US and it's markets.

Pull that rug from out under and the economy would rapidly shrink not grow.

It will be at least 20 years before India can finance it's own development and more years still to have domestic tech/science companies capable of substituting for foreign ones should they decline cooperation.

China however is far ahead on that front producing companies that approximate large US corporations on multiple fronts from semiconductors to airplanes to consumer goods to engineering goods. They are in a much better position to withstand any cutoff from the US market or tech/science trade.

.

Who said anything about a confrontation with the US? India continues as its doing and after 2030, the picture will get clearer.

The last think Modi government would do is compromise on its foreign defence policy and it’s sovereignity with a Gun pointed on its head.

Bunch of whimsical congressmen from dems and rep pass a law based on its own internal political equation and then wants to apply on any country it’s internal law based on what principal ?

If the same bunch of congress men emboldened and will pass some law on how india should behave , who should it trade with , what tarriff should it adhere too and should be its friends and enemies and then india will be told follow or will sanction you.

Just tell those bunch of thugs congressmen that india will buy any thing it wants from any country as long as it’s not under UN sanction based on its national interest.

If US is keen on relationship with india it should be based on equal interest and not a vassal type arrangement or blackmail , even vassal in EU are taken to task if they don’t adhere to what US say that what you get when you loose sovereignity

The worst thing one can do dealing with a thug is to comply by what they say. The economy argument will always be there till eternity , it is for the US to loose lucrative Indian market as others will come and occupy it

Sort of OT, but it has to be said. The impact of overseas capital (FDI, FII) is over-estimated, and India's internal dynamics are under-estimated. Prof. Vaidyanathan's book India Uninc. explains this quite clearly with data - most of Indian growth has been fueled by internal savings and not FDI/FII.

India only gets low-risk, low-capital FDI, no big ticket high-risk, high-capital FDI comes into India in any place. All of that goes to Taiwan, Singapore, Korea and slightly more higher risk appetite holders head towards hong kong and still higher ones adventure into mainland China. Make in India is a dud because these categories haven't yet felt compelled to step into India.

Our political class feels irrelevant if they do not indulge in hafta vasooli from corporates and high-capital, low-margins businesses, high-risk industries (fabs, wafers, chips) cannot indulge in wanton adventurism by leaving their fate at hands of Indian politicians and agitating workers. If we at a later date can get this act together then maybe, but today contribution of FDI to Indian GDP will be in decimals.

So maybe yes, we can take strong decisions because we are still in a technology denial phase.

Austin wrote:Just tell those bunch of thugs congressmen that india will buy any thing it wants from any country as long as it’s not under UN sanction based on its national interest.

If US is keen on relationship with india it should be based on equal interest and not a vassal type arrangement or blackmail , even vassal in EU are taken to task if they don’t adhere to what US say that what you get when you loose sovereignity

The worst thing one can do dealing with a thug is to comply by what they say. The economy argument will always be there till eternity , it is for the US to loose lucrative Indian market as others will come and occupy it

Its a question of timing.

Do it now when things are in the spotlight and those Congressmen could well pass something nasty against India.

Unlike China, India does not have the means to retaliate on the trade front.

A Trump-Putin summit is supposedly coming soon enough.

That is the window of opportunity to conclude that deal.

For now shelve it while Trump is on a global hunt for adversaries to hand out a flogging.

The situation 10 years from now vis-a-vis the relationship with the US will be less assymetical.

Austin wrote:Just tell those bunch of thugs congressmen that india will buy any thing it wants from any country as long as it’s not under UN sanction based on its national interest.

If US is keen on relationship with india it should be based on equal interest and not a vassal type arrangement or blackmail , even vassal in EU are taken to task if they don’t adhere to what US say that what you get when you loose sovereignity

The worst thing one can do dealing with a thug is to comply by what they say. The economy argument will always be there till eternity , it is for the US to loose lucrative Indian market as others will come and occupy it

Its a question of timing.

Do it now when things are in the spotlight and those Congressmen could well pass something nasty against India.

Unlike China, India does not have the means to retaliate on the trade front.

A Trump-Putin summit is supposedly coming soon enough.

That is the window of opportunity to conclude that deal.

For now shelve it while Trump is on a global hunt for adversaries to hand out a flogging.

The situation 10 years from now vis-a-vis the relationship with the US will be less assymetical.

SO we need to time our defence purchase according to mood and whimsical mind of US Congress but not according to our Security Concerns.

IAF Chief stated S-400 as No-1 defence buy and so has MOD report placed in Parliament but let us forget all that , Let us check the mood of US Congress today tommorow and 10 years from now and plan our purchase accordingly so that we are not in spotlight.

While US is pushing for 15 Billion USD F-18 deal and other deal which they think it is fine we purchase it and make us more dependent on buying then signing US COMSEC agreement , The US Congress mood will be generally good if we do that !

Please ask US Congress if we should give up our Nuclear Weapons , BM program and even any trade with Russia just to see if that makes their Nasty mood any better

IF US wants to treat India as equal partner in so called Strategic Partnership it needs to to give unconditional waiver on CAATSA without any strings attached , Just as US needs to take care of its national security so do we , Let them not play this at our cost and we are not their vassals

I diagree with Neshant-type cautious, lets stay away from Trump analysis, our attitude has to be now is better time than ever to put our hand in mouth of lion and snatch piece of the meat, to never pull back, if Trump puts pressure throw US companies out of India and stop paying oil in dollars. Once you stop payment for oil in dollars dependence on US exports will come down drastically. It requires will power, megaton nukes & ICBMs. Trump and chamchas will fall in line quickly thereafter.

If Indians do not have apetite for some short term realignments then they will have to suffer long-term irrelevance. Neither will high tech industries come trooping into India if we are well behaved either.

Earlier Indo-US understanding was we buy cheap saudi oil and in return buy US weapons and pacific role with spare cash. Now with cheap oil is no more and threat of sanctions to boot so basis of old understanding with US doesn't exist. They went there way and we went ours.

The inroads into the Lutyens establishment started in earnest when Snake- oil Singh signed on the N -deal.It came with swift buys of US milware as the price was large buys of US milware plus its obsolete N- plants.Fortunately Westinghouse went bankrupt and Fukushima showed up its huge failings.

The babu establishment is well looked after by the US with post-retirement jobs for our mercenary breed, seats for kids at US colleges, etc., etc. This cannot be emulated by the Russians and to a much lesser extent by the Europeans, groaning under the weight of millions of Muslim refugees who are undermining the EU and Britain by the day.Already Sadiq Khan, who has scarcely warmed his ministerial seat at Westminster, has started criticising St.Theresa's immigration policies! One can only hope that the Germans will prove resilient enough to withstand the invasion.The Russians on the other hand know how to deal with suchlike.Ask the Chechens!

Nevertheless, any sanctions imposed upon India will have the opposite effect and anti- Americanism that once flourished in India during the Cold War will resurface with a bang.A pity as cretinous US diplomutts and Pentagon presidential buffoons will undo the real politik in relations developed over the last few years.

Austin wrote:Just tell those bunch of thugs congressmen that india will buy any thing it wants from any country as long as it’s not under UN sanction based on its national interest.

If US is keen on relationship with india it should be based on equal interest and not a vassal type arrangement or blackmail , even vassal in EU are taken to task if they don’t adhere to what US say that what you get when you loose sovereignity

The worst thing one can do dealing with a thug is to comply by what they say. The economy argument will always be there till eternity , it is for the US to loose lucrative Indian market as others will come and occupy it

Its a question of timing.

Do it now when things are in the spotlight and those Congressmen could well pass something nasty against India.

Unlike China, India does not have the means to retaliate on the trade front.

A Trump-Putin summit is supposedly coming soon enough.

That is the window of opportunity to conclude that deal.

For now shelve it while Trump is on a global hunt for adversaries to hand out a flogging.

The situation 10 years from now vis-a-vis the relationship with the US will be less assymetical.

With China playing a bigger role in global politics and economics, US won't do sh*t. They need all the 'allies' they can get. Russia is also keeping a close eye on China and will also support India. India therefore is in a sweet-spot where it can practically get away with anything...even another bum blast in desert.

True.We're balancing our energy ties with the US (TOI) with a huge $25B gas 20 yr. deal with Russia,the first supply of which was recd. yesterday which the oil min.,Pradhan, described as a "golden day for India's security roadmap" .At least $1.5B gas supplies would be imported every year.

The high uncertainty with US policy , topsy turvy under Trump and his maverick minions is forcing not only India but also its EU allies to think of forming there own " Eurocorps" armed force.Germany for long against it is now rethinking on the issue and is talking to Macron about such a force independent of the US.Music to Russian ears!

This is arguably the most prosperous time in history to be an American. Alternatively it is a particularly precarious time to be a child of immigrant parents in America, especially if your parents came here legally. That’s right, I said “legally.”

“I wish I were an illegally arrived child instead of a legal one.” As a stand-alone statement those words are perplexing, but in present context it serves as the mantra of 200,000 Indian-American children who were brought here legally by their parents on H1-B or other work visas. Those children now face the real threat of self-deportation once they turn 21 years old due to the end of their H-4 dependent status and a seemingly endless backlog of green card dissemination. My community of Indian-Americans refers to this issue as DALCA, or Deferred Action for Legal Childhood Arrivals. The distinction from just plain DACA is that the sought-after pathway to citizenship only applies to children who were brought here illegally. The conspicuous absence of this status disparity from congressional discussions and in the media is a truly sad scenario that is leading to a brain drain in the United States. The DALCA voice is just not loud enough and it’s about time we turned the volume up.

I was lucky enough to have been born in this country in the early ’80s to parents who came here from India in the late ’60s on student visas and who subsequently got their American citizenship. Compared to Indian immigrants today, my family and I are generationally lucky. The young people who are losing their legal status are no different than my siblings and I were. DALCA kids have been raised on Dorito’s, PlayStation and Coke just like we were and now they’re being forced to leave -- which benefits “Silicon Vancouver” and beyond. Each high-skilled worker who is forced to move is a loss for the U.S. and our future as a competitive tech country. Nearly a dozen Indian families in my friend circle alone have shipped off to Vancouver.

Prior to the new millennium it would only take six months to get a green card. Now the wait is up to 60-70 years. Many H1-B holders will die before they get a green card. And they will continue to live a life of uncertainty and deep anxiety, afraid to go back to India to even attend the funeral of their parents for fear of being not allowed back even though they have a legal status.

June 25 has been set as a deadline by the House GOP to secure the legal status of Dreamers, at least for a few more years. I think that is a noble cause, which will put the minds of many a young Dreamer at ease. What this legislative deadline doesn’t do is placate any Indian-American children who entered this country legally and that is just wrong.

There has been zero debate of the DALCA issue in either the House or Senate and the only real mentions of it anywhere are in India-based periodicals since it affects Indian-Americans more than any other minority (70 percent of EB visas have been awarded to Indian-Americans in the past decade). Congress needs to address this problem and include the DALCA Dreamers in whatever compassionate fix they intend to bestow upon the DACA Dreamers. We cannot let this talent spill out of our country, which will in turn deter continued growth and prosperity. And, Congress must fix the root-cause of the DALCA problem: the 60-70-year backlog of high-skilled immigrants from India.

To me, this is an easy fix -- simply adjust the White House policy on DACA by including the word “legal” in its immigration framework. The current framework is below:

DACA LEGALIZATION: “Provide legal status for DACA recipients and other DACA-eligible illegal immigrants, adjusting the time-frame to encompass a total population of approximately 1.8 million individuals.

I commend Sen. Rand Paul for having the courage to call out Congress on its hypocrisy on this issue. I also urge President Trump to fix this for the betterment of the country so that we can continue our contributions of creating jobs and making this country greater for generations to come. As the Kentucky senator said:“[W]hen H-1B visa holders from certain countries are forced to wait decades to receive a green card, the children of those H-1B holders can fall out of legal status and would not be covered by either DACA or the DREAM Act. Those children who came in legally through no fault of anyone will suddenly be faced with the choice of remaining illegally in the United States or leaving the only country they have even known as home ... a group that includes some of the most talented young students in America’s schools today.”

And here is former Speaker Newt Gingrich on the same subject: “As lawmakers work on this solution, they must keep in mind how senseless, unfair, and hypocritical it would be to provide a fix for DACA Dreamers – who came here illegally – and neglect to provide a solution for the DALCA Dreamers who have followed the rules and are being victimized by our backlogged, broken system.”Vikram Aditya Kumar is president and CEO of AVG and chairman of Republican Hindu Coalition.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/india-r ... sanctions/India, Russia to Press Ahead With S-400 Deal Despite Threat of US SanctionsIndia’s defense minister reiterated New Delhi’s determination to go ahead with procuring the Russian-made missile air defense system.By Franz-Stefan GadyJune 06, 2018India will press ahead with the procurement of five regiments of Russian-made S-400 Triumf advanced Air Defense Systems (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) intended for service in the Indian military notwithstanding U.S. sanctions, Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at a recent press conference.Speaking to the press on June 5, the defense minister emphasized the close defense ties between India and Russia. “In all our engagements with the U.S., we have clearly explained how India and Russia’s defense cooperation has been going on for a long time and that it is a time-tested relationship,” Sitharaman said. “We have mentioned that CAATSA cannot impact the India-Russia defense cooperation.”The United States passed the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) against Russia in August 2017 for reportedly influencing and manipulating the 2016 presidential election process. Core provisions of the CAATSA, including sanctions on Russian business entities and senior Russian political and business figures, came into effect in January 2018.Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.The Indian defense minister is expected to raise the issue of sanctions under CAATSA, which could kick in on any Indo-Russian defense procurement deal above $15 million, at the upcoming 2+2 talks between the Indian and U.S. defense and foreign ministers scheduled for this month in Washington DC.The imposition of sanctions by the United States on India is seen as highly unlikely. Nonetheless, India’s decision to move ahead with the S-400 acquisition could impact future U.S.-India defense deals, including the possible procurement of armed U.S.-made Predator drones or the establishment of joint aircraft production facilities......The balls are in Trump's court. He may decide to scratch or just let it go._______________________________________________________________________________________________________https://news.usni.org/2018/06/06/u-s-in ... n-thursdayU.S., India, Japan Navies Start Malabar Exercise Tomorrow in GuamBy: Ben WernerJune 6, 2018The U.S. Navy is hosting naval forces from India and Japan in Guam for the annual Malabar Exercise, set to start Thursday in the Philippine Sea.This is the first year Guam is hosting the annual exercise in which participants will practice surface and anti-submarine warfare operations, combined carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, and visit, board, search, and seizure operations, according to a Navy statement.The Malabar 2018 exercise represents the U.S. commitment to working with regional powers in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Secretary of Defense James Mattis said last week when he unveiled the new name of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at a ceremony welcoming Adm. Phil Davidson in his new role taking the helm of that combatant command.“In recognition of the increasing connectivity, the Indian and Pacific Oceans, today we rename the U.S. Pacific Command to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Over many decades, this command has repeatedly adapted to changing circumstance, and today carries that legacy forward as America focuses west,” Mattis said at the ceremony.While not mentioned in any public statements released by the Malabar participants, the recent activities of China, notably its program of building artificial islands in the South China Sea and sending submarines into the Indian Ocean, loom over the exercise.......Gautam

Malabar Exercises were started in early 1990s as part of US Central Command lt. Gen. Kicklighter proposals to increase cooperation with IN. Pac Command realized they need to cooperate with IN in the Indian Ocean.All after the fall of FSU.

To understand what India will receive from the visiting US "dignitaries",who frankly must be sent to "Dignitas" Switzerland ,this statement from the Trumpeter about the leader of the nation closest to the US,its permanent poodle,Britain is a revelation.Indian diplomats can expect to be lectured upon on similar lines.

Donald Trump 'tired of Theresa May's school mistress tone’ and will not hold talks with her at G7 It is unclear whether Donald Trump and Theresa May will hold bilateral talks during a G7 meeting in Canada

Ben Riley-Smith, us editor 8 JUNE 2018 • 7:51AMDonald Trump has grown frustrated with Theresa May’s “school mistress” tone, allies of the president have told The Telegraph, as it emerged the pair will not hold formal talks at the G7 summit in Canada.

The US president is said to bristle at the Prime Minister’s approach during phone calls, with Mrs May quick to get into policy details rather than wider conversation.

One senior US diplomat said Mr Trump had expressed annoyance at Mrs May’s frequent demands, which are seen as taking advantage of the UK-US relationship.

Another long-time friend of the president revealed he had privately complained of how Mrs May calls him out in public when he is deemed to have stepped out of line.

A third figure, a former White House official who attended meetings between the pair, confirmed the frosty relationship: "No offence, but she is ba Donald Trump and Thsically a school mistress. I’m not sure anyone gets on well with her.”

Donald Trump and Theresa May were photographed holding hands in January 2017, raising hopes they could strike up a political friendship

The comments made to this newspaper chime with a report in The Washington Post on Thursday that Mr Trump sees Mrs May as too politically correct after she rebuked him over claims that parts of London have become “no-go” areas.

Asked about Mr Trump’s reported view of her before the summit in Quebec, Mrs Mrs said: “I just get on and make sure that I’m delivering. That’s the job of any politician.”

World leaders will gather on Friday in Charlevoix, Quebec, for a meeting of the G7 that has been overshadowed by Mr Trump’s decision to hit allies with hefty steel tariffs.

On the agenda for the two-day summit will be economic growth, the future of employment, gender equality, climate change and world peace. However, the discussions risk being overshadowed by a growing rift between Mr Trump and leaders of countries traditionally closely aligned with America.

Mr Trump’s decision to put 25 per cent steel tariffs and 10 per cent aluminium tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union have infuriated allies, as has his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

Government sources said Mr Trump was not expected to hold bi-lateral meetings with Mrs May during the trip.

The White House said in a briefing on Wednesday that Mr Trump would hold bilateral meetings with Justin Trudeau and Emmanuel Macron, the leaders of Canada and France.

However, there was no mention of Mrs May.

Gordon Brown was once infamously snubbed by Barack Obama when he turned down five requests for a bilateral meeting during a 2009 gathering of world leaders in New York.

The then-prime minister had to settle for what one aide would later call a "snatched conversation" with Mr Obama in a kitchen, causing acute embarrassment when it was later reported.

Mrs May and Mr Trump, who have very different backgrounds and characters, have struggled to develop a close political friendship over the last 18 months.

The Prime Minster became the first world leader hosted in Mr Trump’s White House in January 2017, where the pair were pictured holding hands, but officials admit they are now not especially close.

A state visit to Britain offered at that time is still yet to happen and they have clashed a number of times over Mr Trump’s tweets and policy stances.

Former aides of Mrs May have insisted that Mr Trump often expresses his love for Britain during phone calls and adopts a respectful tone. However, few claim their relationship is especially warm.

British officials hope rolling out the red carpet when Mr Trump visits Britain on July 13 for a working trip will help improve relations, with a round of golf and tea with the Queen expected to feature.

But Mrs May is not alone in failing to build a rapport with Mr Trump. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has a frosty relationship with the US president, who often swipes at her country’s trade policies. And many Western leaders have done little to hide their anger at the US president's decisions over Iran and tariffs, going public with their criticism in recent weeks.

The row over tariffs, which have seen those affected hit back with reciprocal moves, has led to one of the most troubled run-ups to a G7 meeting in years.

Mrs May said that while she has made clear to Mr Trump that the tariffs are “unjustified”, she urged the EU to ensure its response is “proportionate”.

She said: “I made my views clear of the steel and aluminium tariffs. We disagree with these, we think they are unjustified. Obviously the EU will be responding.

"We will be working with others in the EU to ensure that response is proportionate, that it is within WTO rules. I will continue to put the argument for the importance of those trade relationships around the World.”

Mr Macron, widely seen as having developed one of the warmest relationships with Mr Trump among world leaders, did little to hide his frustration before the gathering.

“You say the US President doesn't care at all. Maybe, but nobody is forever,” Mr Macron said, appearing to cite the fact that Mr Trump will someday leave office.

Mr Macron also made reference to the joke that the G7 has become the 'G6 plus one', saying: "Maybe the American president doesn't care about being isolated today, but we don't mind being six, if needs be.

"Because these six represent values, represent an economic market, and more than anything, represent a real force at the international level today.”

Mr Trump referred to the trade row in a tweet on Thursday night, adding he was looking forward to seeing Mr Trudeau and Mr Macron.

Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow.

The US president is reportedly unhappy at having to attend the G7, coming on the eve of his historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

The US president fears being lectured to by other world leaders and would rather spend the time preparing for his talks with Kim, according to US media reports.

There is an interesting ongoing development I would like to highlight. This is in response to some dhoti shivering in response to India doing business with countries under sanction by ungle. In response, proposals were made to use gold, euro, crypto currency blah blah as an alternative to the YooS-thollar. Here is what Indian consumer is worth.

India has now submitted a revised list of 30 items — including motor cycle, certain iron and steel goods, boric acid and lentils — to the WTO on which it proposes to raise customs duty by up to 50 per cent. As duties hiked by the US on certain steel and aluminium products would have implications of about USD 241 million on India, the raise in tariffs proposed by New Delhi too would have an equal implication on America.

“The US would be collecting $241 million worth of duties by hiking tariffs on certain steel and aluminium items from India, we also proposed to withdraw concessions of similar amount from these 30 products imported by India from the US,” a source said.

Earlier in May, India proposed to raise duties by up to 100 per cent on 20 products such as almonds, apple and specific motorcycles imported from the US.

The additional duty proposed to be hiked on these items ranges from 10 per cent to 100 per cent.

“The revision is being provided to adjust the products and the tariff rates in accordance with India’s rights reserved vide its notification to the Council for Trade in Goods contained in the WTO document…of May 18, 2018.

America needed to foster sympathy for its troops in India while steering them clear of the country’s politics, Srinath Raghavan writes in a new book.

Between 1942 and 1945, some 2,00,000 American soldiers came to India. Given the military and economic commitment to India, the United States was naturally keen to project its contribution in the best possible light. American propaganda in India, however, was a rudderless ship. The Office of War Information (OWI) initially picked the journalist and author Robert Aura Smith as the head of information operations in India. He arrived in India just ahead of Louis Johnson. A “triple bourbon man at lunch”, Aura Smith’s energy was not matched by organisation.

After the arrest of the Congress leadership in August 1942, Aura Smith made a hectic effort to counter the perception that the United States was propping up British rule in India. He hired the J Walter Thompson ( JWT) agency of New York, which had been operating in India since 1929, to mount a major advertising campaign. The JWT campaign was centred on two themes: “America Fights for Freedom” and “America: The Arsenal of Democracy”. One advertisement announced: “The 150-year-old constitution of the United States contains a charter of freedom for all mankind, and their president has declared the extension of these fundamental liberties to all men [as] the base of the American people’s war-aims.” Free copies of the Life of Franklin D Roosevelt: Fully Illustrated were offered to anyone who wrote in.

The advertisements on the second theme were equally tactless: “The number of persons engaged in aircraft manufacture in the United States is equal to the total male population of Bombay, Karachi and Ahmedabad combined.”

British rulers as well as Indian subjects took umbrage at such condescension. The American consul in Madras pointed out that the campaign would have an “adverse” impact on Anglo-American relations. The consul in Calcutta feared by contrast that “it creates doubts [in Indian minds]...on American political integrity”. Phillips pointed out to Washington that the OWI’s campaign had a “cheapness” that was doing “no credit” but “considerable harm” to American interests in India. Soon, Aura Smith was relieved of the job.

His successor, Ralph Block, was another experienced journalist who was also versed in the ways of Hollywood. Block quickly understood that US policy towards India was torn between competing considerations. Yet, he felt that India “will influence the affairs of that half of the world in which America will be increasingly dominant culturally and economically”.

So, wartime propaganda should aim to foster a “sympathetic attitude towards the presence of American troops” and avoid limiting “the freedom of characteristic American action in these areas in the future”.

Towards these ends, they should aim to emphasise the similarities rather than differences between the United States and India. Instead of focusing on the “froth of American life – Hollywood, boogie-woogie, etc.” they should highlight small-town life in America, which was much more salient for the predominantly rural India. Harping on American prosperity might only end up generating envy. “Statements as to our great wealth and industrial power,” he insisted, “should take second place to the interesting human details of our common life.” Block’s ideas would shape American propaganda not only during the rest of the war, but for decades ahead.

American propaganda during these years took a variety of forms: radio programmes and photographs, libraries and newsletters. The OWI also produced and screened several documentary films with such titles as The Grand Coulee Dam, The Life of a United States Anthracite Miner, Our American Allies and Stop the Rising Sun. The last centred on the role of African American troops in India, but was pulled out of circulation owing to concerns that it portrayed American race relations in an unfavourable light and called into question the United States’ avowals of liberty.

AdvertisementThe presence of 22,000 African American soldiers was indeed regarded as a “delicate” matter. Not only did African Americans serve in separate military units, but their social life in India was segregated too.

In Calcutta, for instance, black soldiers only frequented places like the Cosmos Club managed by black women from the Red Cross or the Grand Hotel where black pianist Teddy Wetherford performed with an Indian band. The US army sought to muffle criticism by producing a propaganda film – shot in Karachi and edited in Bombay – of “coloured troops, their activities, recreational facilities and mode of living in India”. The African American soldiers’ experience in India was mixed. On the one hand, many Indians – especially of the upper classes – displayed a “marked attitude of aloofness” and “superiority complex” towards African American GIs. On the other, they seem to have got on fine with at least some segments of local society. As American military authorities noted, “Negroes frequently are invited to attend native civilian parties to which white troops are not invited. Many Negro soldiers attempt to adopt civilian children as ‘mascots’.”

To most American soldiers India came as a jolt. As an Indian journalist recalled, “accustomed to seeing India through Hollywood’s cameras as a fabulous land peopled by Maharajas and elephants, they were appalled and sickened by the stink and poverty of the place”. American soldiers were frequently scathing about the Raj. Seeing the emaciated poor huddled on the streets of Calcutta and peering at the shops, a GI grunted: “If I were they, I’d smash those glasses and help myself to all that’s there.” Many American soldiers and airmen took a liking to their “native bearers”, if in a paternalistic fashion. These locally recruited servants, a GI magazine joked, “make a perfectly lazy man out of a soldier”. They often gave funny nicknames to their servants. “Our bearer’s name is ‘Smokey’,” wrote a GI. “We’ve forgotten why we call him that, but there are no objections, since his real name is ‘Pabitra Mondel’. Aside from his regular duties, Smokey spends most of his time learning GI ways.”

Not surprisingly, American servicemen were advised to steer clear of Indian politics. “The political situation in India is not easily understood,” warned a handbook for GIs, “and a short stay in India is not long enough to be informed about it.” Yet, they could not be entirely insulated from the currents of nationalism swirling in India. In an open letter to American officers and soldiers in India, Jayaprakash Narayan wrote “as one who loves America only next to his own motherland”. Recalling his formative years in the United States – not only in the universities but also as a labourer in farms and factories – he wrote: “You are soldiers of freedom...It is, therefore, essential that you understand and appreciate our fight for freedom.” Having deftly overturned the tropes of American propaganda in India, he went on to denounce Britain’s claims about the Cripps Mission and the unreadiness of India for freedom.

Narayan urged them to let “your countrymen, your leaders and your government know the truth about India”.

It is difficult to judge whether such appeals had any effect on American soldiers and officers. But the brush with Indian nationalism did indelibly mark the lives of at least some young Americans. Twenty-six-year-old Joan Bondurant was finishing her second degree in music, when she volunteered for the war and was sent by the Office of Strategic Services to India in late 1943. As an intelligence analyst, Bondurant decrypted and translated Japanese messages and propaganda. In her spare time she picked up Urdu and Hindi, travelled widely in north India and befriended many Indians. During these years, she also developed an abiding interest in Gandhi’s philosophy of satyagraha. After the war Bondurant returned to India, met the Mahatma, embarked on a career in the University of California at Berkeley, and became America’s first academic expert on Gandhian non-violence.

Excerpted with permission from The Most Dangerous Place: A History of the United States in South Asia, Srinath Raghavan, Penguin Random House India.

^^^^ I know one thing. They made a military hospital In Rohtak (Haryana). It served as a seedling for the one of the best Medical College and Hospital in Northern India. I know it very well because my Nana ji 's land was acquired for this purpose.

Late last year, the Iran-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen fired a Burqan-2 missile (a Scud variant) aimed at the international airport in Riyadh some 600 miles to the northeast. The missile got to its target alright but due to the strains in the metal canister induced by the flight, blew apart with the debris littering parts of the runway and the adjoining road outside the airport. The Saudis, however, claimed that they had fired five Patriot advanced capability (PAC-3) interceptor at the intruder and had destroyed the Houthi Burqan.

US President Donald Trump visiting Saudi Arabia not long after that event crowed that “Our system knocked the missile out of the air. That’s how good we are. Nobody makes what we make, and now we’re selling it all over the world.” Trump is a loud, less than, credible snake oil salesman at the best of times. As promoter of the PAC-3 he is eminently ignorable, as is any US official urging friendly countries to buy this air defence system whose worldwide publicity is far better than its performance.

Except, and this is a kicker, an analysis by air defence experts of the debris distribution and of the parts of the Burqan system that the Saudis proudly displayed days after the attack, came to the conclusion, as reported in the American press, that the incoming missile had come apart by itself at the end of its trajectory and, more shocking still to Trump Admin officials, the Pentagon, and Raytheon — the maker of the Patriot, that all the five PAC-3 interceptors the Saudis had fired had missed the target!

Last month Tina Kaidanow, principal deputy assistant secretary of the US State Department’s Political-Military Affairs Bureau, came to Delhi on a triple-pronged mission — to press Delhi to sign the remaining two “foundational” agreements — COMCASA and BECA as follow up to the LSA, and to prevent India signing up to buy the Russian counterpart of the PAC-3, the S-400, for $5 billion, and to persuade the Modi government to buy this American product that doesn’t work, instead. While Kaidanow’s visit wasn’t reported by the Indian media, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement that India would go in for the Russian item even if it attracted US sanctions under the 2018 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, was.

Apparently, the US State Dept official’s muffled threat of CAATSA did not work, nor did it “engender a willingness” on the part of the Indian government to think about the US PAC-3 system as replacement. And as regards COMCASA and BECA she was told nothing she was reassured by.

“As a function of trying to move the defense relationship forward — and certainly the defense trade relationship — it is important that those foundational agreements are considered by the Indian government, they are acted on hopefully as expeditiously as possible,” Kaidanow told the Washington defence media. “Of course it is their sovereign right to decide on these things, but our hope is that we have presented to them some good options and some ways forward. Hopefully we can make some progress in that relatively soon.”

And pertaining to the F-16 and perhaps also the PAC-3, she said “American defense product is great product — it is the best in the world. It’s central that countries really think about when they acquire these things — and particularly when we’re talking about important systems … — that they think about the quality and the interoperability piece and all of the things that we know come with the acquisition of American products.”

Kaidanow is right. Buying military goods from the US comes with lot of attached baggage and just too many do’s and don’t’s, inclusive of the uncertainty attending on the spares supply, which cab be stopped at any time on Congressional whim and an Administration’s fancy. Whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi is convinced about the cons outweighing the pros or not, the political scene at home tilting against him suggests his government is unlikely during the remainder of its term at least to sign any accords, or buy anything big from America, let alone nix the S-400 buy, go in for the PAC-3, and permanently turn Russia into an enemy.

^^I know for a fact that Patriots have been downing ballistic missiles from Yemen (provenance uncertain) over the last 12 months or so in Saudi Arabia. Not one of those Yemeni missiles have in fact hit the ground (except as debris) so far in the capital. I think one got through a roof in Jizan recently (though I'm not sure about that).

I have little doubt that the S-400 is equal or better as GoI has decided to go for it. Their presence in the Levant, as I understand it (and stand ready to be corrected) provided sufficient deterrent to limit the air-superiority of Western & allied forces in the region.

JE Menon wrote:^^I know for a fact that Patriots have been downing ballistic missiles from Yemen (provenance uncertain) over the last 12 months or so in Saudi Arabia. Not one of those Yemeni missiles have in fact hit the ground (except as debris) so far in the capital. I think one got through a roof in Jizan recently (though I'm not sure about that).

Those have been standard claims made about these missiles for years but as yet zero evidence they've hit anything.

There are a bunch of articles on how these missiles have missed such targets in Yemen, misfiring and even crashing back to earth on take off :

Now of course, none of the failures to detect, failures to intercept and failures to even take off without crashing will be advertised.

Secondly, if they perform that poorly against low velocity incoming third rate Iraning Scud knock offs, it's doubtful they will work well against IRBMs.

As of now these companies are selling a bill of goods at HUGE cost to customers thinking they are buying invincibility against all missiles and aircraft.

India is way better off putting that money towards indigenous development of an ATBM system of it's own. At least we will know what we have got and it's limitations instead of putting full faith in marketing brochure claims and salemanship lies.

>>Those have been standard claims made about these missiles for years but as yet zero evidence they've hit anything.

I am speaking specifically about SA. There is plenty of evidence on that. I'm not speaking about the accuracy, or how many Patriots need to be fired to take out one ballistic incoming, or anything like that. What I'm saying is that none of the missiles that have been shot at Riyadh from Yemen, have hit anything other than a Patriot, and some of the resultant debris (including that of Patriots) have caused some damage including taken life.

>>There are a bunch of articles on how these missiles have missed such targets in Yemen, misfiring and even crashing back to earth on take off

Not sure what you mean here. I am talking about missiles fired from Yemen into SA. I understand at least one Patriot missile has crashed back to earth briefly after takeoff. That said, in SA, overall they have been effective.

>>India is way better off putting that money towards indigenous development of an ATBM system of it's own.

JE Menon: Raytheon was claiming 100% success in SA/Yemen theater, not true for the March 2018 event. The larger point of the US trying to sell its system to India by way of superior performance and other geo-political pressures and seek the cancel the S-400 order from India to wean us away from Russian wares. This whole NSSP in 2003 and DDTI needs to be questioned, if it serves Indian interests. The US can be a great trade and investment partner but a limited strategic and defense partner to India.

With the performance of Gen. Vodkov and Air Marshall Smirnoff in Syria, if I were a weapon purchase decision-maker, the RuAF planes would be top choice. All the nonsense about maintenance nightmare and crash rate has been convincingly debunked. OK, I may not want to be in one that takes off from a aircraft carrier yet, but that may be a different issue.

I have a slight suspicion that what happened to the russian aircraft carrier and its aircraft operations, had something to do with the retaliation that was visited upon the French champagne-bucket when they were asked to participate in the raids. So some good investment in counter-counter electronic warfare would be a good idea as well. Surely there are lots of hackers at work trying to hack into the S-400.

Use software developed by the Income Tax Divishun of desh. To their credit they respond fast to questions on why the vaunted software won't save or upload after everything else works fine.

The US had granted India the status of a ‘Major Defence Partner’ in 2016 but no tangible benefits on military technology front have come to New Delhi so far.

Sushant Singh | New Delhi | June 18, 2018

US team of experts in Delhi to discuss key military agreement The resumption of talks on Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) signals a breakthrough in the Indian stance.

AS PART of preparations for the 2+2 dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers of India and the US in Washington next month, a team of specialists from the Pentagon will be meeting their counterparts on the Indian side in Delhi from Monday to negotiate the text of a “foundational” military communications agreement.

Official sources told The Indian Express that the US team, which will include lawyers, and policy and technical experts, is scheduled to meet the Indian experts from Monday to Wednesday. They said that the US officials will try and address Indian observations on the draft Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) submitted earlier.

The resumption of talks on COMCASA signals a breakthrough in the Indian stance. After signing a military logistics agreement with the US in 2016, the Indian government was not keen on signing the two other “foundational” agreements — COMCASA and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA).

COMCASA essentially provides a legal framework for the transfer of communication security equipment from the US to India that would facilitate “interoperability” between Indian and US forces — and potentially with other militaries that use US-origin systems for secure data links. It was called the Communication and Information on Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) before the name was changed to reflect its India-specific nature.

Official sources said they did not expect the finalisation of the COMCASA text or its signing during the inaugural 2+2 dialogue. But an intention to sign the COMCASA in the near future could figure in the joint statement to be issued by both sides in Washington.

American officials contend that COMCASA is meant to facilitate the use of high-end secured communication equipment to be installed on military platforms being sold to India and fully exploit their potential. India’s military, they argue, is currently dependent on commercially available and less secure communication systems on high-end American platforms like C-130Js and the P8I maritime surveillance aircraft.

But the need for signing COMCASA becomes mandatory if India is to get the armed version of the Sea Guardian drones from Washington. New Delhi has been intimated by the US officials that there is no possibility of India using the high-end drones, which is dependent on a secure data and communication system link, without signing the COMCASA.

Defence ministry officials have held reservations about signing the COMCASA as they fear American intrusive access to Indian military communication systems. They also fear that a large quantity of Russian-origin and indigenous Indian military platforms may not be compatible with COMCASA.

The US had granted India the status of a ‘Major Defence Partner’ in 2016 but no tangible benefits on military technology front have come to New Delhi so far. Issues of defence cooperation between the two countries will figure during the visit of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to Washington next month for the 2+2 dialogue

>>Raytheon was claiming 100% success in SA/Yemen theater, not true for the March 2018 event.

Could you elaborate? Why is it not true for the March 2018 event?

If you are referring to the death of an Egyptian expatriate that was from debris crashing into a residential area. I think so far that has been the only casualty. There was a case where the Patriot veered of course and exploded harmlessly as well, if I remember right.

JE Menon wrote:>>Raytheon was claiming 100% success in SA/Yemen theater, not true for the March 2018 event.

Could you elaborate? Why is it not true for the March 2018 event?

If you are referring to the death of an Egyptian expatriate that was from debris crashing into a residential area. I think so far that has been the only casualty. There was a case where the Patriot veered of course and exploded harmlessly as well, if I remember right.

Two of the launched ABM's failed. Lucky for Riyadh that the missile launched by the Houthis had a pre-mature mid-air burst. In the Dec event, it seems the ABM targeted the booster instead of the warhead. Did American MissileDefense Fail in Saudi Arabia?

“Our system knocked the missile out of the air,” President Trump said the next day from Air Force One en route to Japan, one of the 14 countries that use the system. “That’s how good we are. Nobody makes what we make, and now we’re selling it all over the world.”

But an analysis of photos and videos of the strike posted to social media suggests that story may be wrong.

Instead, evidence analyzed by a research team of missile experts appears to show the missile’s warhead flew unimpeded over Saudi defenses and nearly hit its target, Riyadh’s airport. The warhead detonated so close to the domestic terminal that customers jumped out of their seats.